What To Do in Bohol

from the travel blogs of Liliram, a dear friend and supporter of OUR MELTING POT. photo credits - Joel Riola

My niece Suzette teased me about my blogging only about my foreign travels, never on my local trips. Gave that a thought, and decided I should have really done some. Not so much for myself, but more for those who may wish to check out some of our local sites. Frankly, I enjoyed these trips around our islands just as much as I enjoyed my foreign travels. Perhaps I only felt compelled to write about my travel adventures when they last longer than 4 nights, never for shorter adventures. But I am changing all that now. So here goes...........I actually meant to bring my other niece Mayette for this trip, but she's busy. So, Suzette got lucky. Started our adventure with a mid-morning flight via Philippine Air Lines from Manila to Tagbilaran, Bohol. An uneventful flight of an hour and a half or so. The small Tagbilaran airport certainly demands improvement since the province attracted more tourists to check out the Chocolate Hills, tarsiers, Baclayon Church, a few colonial houses, and the beaches of Panglao. Small and seemingly chaotic, we actually did not have any problem retrieving our bags and driving out of the small airport for our next destination - Panglao Island Nature Hotel.

Our resort hotel welcomed us with a refreshing juice from squeezed dalandan (local oranges) and a couple of guitar-strumming singers. As soon as we checked in, we glimpsed a very beautiful beach beyond the swimming pools surrounding the reception hut/lounge. The infinity pool promised to provide a relaxing afternoon under the sun. It was exciting to find a small man-made island just beyond the beach area where some dinners are served. We were told we will enjoy one of our dinners in that tiny island.

After a walk around the resort, we headed for one of the 3 restaurants in the resort. We strongly recommend Bohol's famous yam soup. It has the texture of a pumpkin soup, but this local version won't disappoint. My first time to try it. They don't serve this back in Manila. Yummy yam! The other dishes served are fairly standard hotel food. I will not rave about it. You'd have your standard barbecue, breaded fish, green salad, etc. It fills up , but won't sate, if you know what I mean.


We spent the next day the best way any tourist can. Started off the day with breakfast in Bohol Bee Farm. We were served organic Chef's salad, homemade jams and marmalades, pates and cheese spread, home-baked pumpkin bread and other pastries. They even have their own coffee made from corn! Eggs, local sausages called longganizas, meat loaf, various fruits, etc. After that hearty breakfast, a guide gave us a short tour cum lecture on how bees make honey, what plants went to our breakfast salad, the different flowers and plants around the area. There was even a small store where one can buy their homemade jams , cheese spreads, honey, local biscuits, and native bags. I got a couple of bags.

From the Bee Farm, we drove towards Baclayon Church and Museum. I have seen this church some years back when the province has yet to make a mark on the tourism map. There have been some improvements, but my heart tells me the local government can do a lot more. Tourism in the area has vastly improved. Perhaps ten fold if not more. It's easy to guess that. My niece Suzette is making her first visit and I can tell she is impressed with our colonial history. Having grown up in the city, she has had not much exposure to vestiges of our Spanish heritage. The churches she goes to are all of modern architecture, unless she goes to Intramuros or a few other selected churches whenever she's invited to weddings. But our everyday church is a modern church. Baclayon gives us a glimpse of how it was in olden times. It helped that our guide prepared us by citing the story of the Spanish Expedition led by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna's Blood Compact in the island of Bohol.

Now, let me explain a few things here. Datu Sikatuna is a local chieftain in Bohol. The Blood Compact is a ritual where both leaders seal their friendship by shedding a few drops of blood from their arms (i suppose they have to make neat cuts first...) , mix in some wine, and drink them. Sounds very primitive to me, but that is what history books tell us. Mind you, that "friendship" allowed the Spaniards to overstay by a good 400 years. Must be one effective Treaty of Friendship if you ask me.

Back to Baclayon Church and Museum. This ancient church claims to be the oldest church in the whole of the Philippines. Some may argue and say that the oldest church is San Agustin Church in Intramuros. Well, that is the oldest STONE church in the country. From the looks of it, there are still some renovations going on within the church compound. Let us hope the complex will have more improvements by my next visit.

From the Church, we had a

short drive to the Loboc Museum which sits right by the Loboc River, exactly where the terminal is for the Loboc River Cruise. The wide wide seaworthy vessel looks more like a big nipa hut with bamboo flooring floating down this green river. Lunch was served while cruising Loboc River, complete with a singing duo who would gladly oblige guests with their favorite songs.

Again, I did not find the food all that impressive but I like the idea of having lunch while river cruising. Along the river, one gets a glimpse of provincial life. Native huts, children playing and swimming by the river edge, wooden outposts that serve as hangouts for idle men and women enjoying a good chat. The whole concept is just so relaxing. At river's end, there was even a band of young girls singing kundimans (local songs of old) to the delight of foreign tourists. Their songs brought cheer to our hearts.

Having enjoyed a Loboc River Cruise relaxing cruise down the river , we then proceeded to check out the tarsiers. Big eyed mini-monkeys with eyes bigger than their brains. The smallest monkey in the world is an attraction here in Bohol. Many foreign and local tourists took snapshots of these cuties who must have been stressed out with all those flash photography (despite the signage) and noisy crowd. Suzette had a couple of shots to show off to her son and daughter. From here, we then trooped to the Chocolate Hills.

We were told that there are better views of the hills in a farther town in Carmen, Bohol. Tired that we were, we settled for the nearest viewpoint. This view though can be had only after climbing a hundred steps . But the vista did not disappoint. Rolling down the landscape were the Chocolate Hills, now not so chocolate-ty but more greenish. I recall having climbed the same steps the last time I visited Bohol. Was it age creeping up on me, or did they actually add more steps to the stairs? Kidding aside, it was not a steep and long climb. Very manageable, really.

The following morning could have been another adventure but the weather did not cooperate. Our dolphin watching boat adventure was cancelled at the last minute because of stormy weather. Balicasag island promised a lot, but I guess we can't have it all. We spent the whole day in the resort. My niece checked out some of the caves around with newfound friends. By nightfall, we had a simple dinner before deciding to seek adventure. This time, we ventured out for yet another boat ride along Loboc river to check out the fireflies! We were along the river for a good hour, no fireflies. Just mosquitoes, and so much darkness. We almost gave up by the time the fireflies decided to make an appearance. So beautiful. One tree looked like a lighted Christmas tree in mid-summer. How magical! And that's the second time I used that word here.

The following day is the day we take our flight back to Manila. There was enough time to hear mass at the
nearby Dauis Church, another ancient church. After mass, we had a chance to check out the plaza behind the church. Then back to Panglao Island Nature Resort to pack our bags and get ready for our flight. It was a weekend well spent.

What To Do in the Philippines?

The Travel Adventures of Bex Davis

from the files of busybee621

Our first featured guest in OUR MELTING POT is fondly called Bex. She is originally from New Zealand but works in Korea as an English teacher. She visited the Philippines last month and left us a lot more impressions than we expected.

I was not in the hostel when Bex arrived but our short conversation over the phone gave me an inkling how decided she was to keep her impossible 3-day itinerary in Manila and other "nearby" provinces before heading off to Boracay Island. I wasn't doubting she could do it because there were obvious indications that our guest came prepared. We were just there to support or maybe spoil (?) her (as she later described in hostelworld). In the process, we saw her presence as an opportunity to learn important tips on WHAT TO DO IN THE PHILIPPINES from the mettle of a first-time traveler in this country which can surely benefit other guests that would come after her.

But Bex who has round, beautiful eyes that looked strict at first has a light, bubbly, spontaneous, no-big-expectation persona. To me, she perfectly represents a true traveler, in contrast to a mere tourist. She immersed herself in the culture and adopted to the same beat of the locals almost immediately. In her first taxi ride within Manila, Bex was asked how many years she's been in the Philippines. The taxi driver's eyes were wide with amusement when she responded: 5 hours. :-)

Going back to Bex's impossible itinerary. She intended to cover Corregidor, Villa Escudero and Pagsanjan falls in her 3 days in Manila. For any one of those 3 pit stops, the journey was to be made in the morning on her last day in Manila, before flying to Boracay at 16:30. Corregidor, fortunately or unfortunately, did not materialize but on her trip to Pagsanjan, she took an exciting turn to Los Banos and Mt. Makiling. Thanks goodness that her last day in Manila didn't bring her feet to far away places. But in all the time she was here, she was able to visit all the big malls: Glorietta, Greenbelt, Powerplant. She had gone to Intramuros, Coconut Palace, Ayala Museum and the Hobbits Bar in Malate (which we only heard for the first time from her). Bex experienced street dining with us at Som's. On her last day, at 12:50nn, she appeared in the hostel, left in a jiffy to squeeze in a local movie at 13:10 which she thought was hilarious. She wasn't probably at the edge of her seat even as it was important to be riding a cab by 15:15, but we were. We just telephoned the hotel managers in Boracay to inform that she was arriving late in the night. We didn't know what happened after until we met in facebook this October.

So, let's sniff a portion of the conversation she had in facebook with a friend as it would tell us some of the meaningful and exciting THINGS TO DO IN MANILA or IN THE PHILIPPINES.
September 29 at 11:50am

Grace Schafer

So, what did you think (about the Philippines)?

Bex Davis

I had the time of my life. I saw so many interesting things, met so many interesting, generous people, didn't get into any scrapes. Though sometimes it was a bit scary, the people i met really looked out for me. Had an absolute adventure. I'm hooked and going back next year after my contract ends. Oh and the food is soooooooo yummy!

I got to Ayala museum, Coconut Palace, Mall of Asia, Intramuros, Villa Escudero, Pagsanjan falls with a wee excursion to Los Banos as i met a guy on the bus who was eager to show me the town and join me in my adventure (yeah i know a big risk but it paid off). I also saw a movie called Kimmy Dora which once i got into it was hilarious. Got to Boracay and had a mad time with the wind, the rain and the locals there. Climbed into a bat cave which i later found out was full of snakes, ate the most delicious food on the beach and held a monkey. Yup i didn't want to leave, and almost didn't due to the typhoon in Manila. But things calmed down enough by the time i was due to leave, though my flights were delayed. I have made so many contacts and there is so much more i want to see, such as I didnt get to Corregidor. Also i wanted to see Palawan and so many things in the north like the rice terraces and the indigenous tribes. Yup the Philippines rock!

Grace Schafer

Phew. I'm so glad that you had a good time. Not a lot of people I know go to the Philippines for a holiday. People used to back in the 70s and stuff. Those people always talk about it like it was the most fun experience of their lives. Glad you liked the food too. It's pretty darn healthy. I remember eating fish for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Glad you went to Borocay. Too bad about the weather. But you get that. Let me know when you plan to go up north. There's some stuff i should probably give you a heads up on.

Yay for the Philippines!
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END OF (A HAPPY) STORY.

Where To Go in the Philippines?

(photo credits: Ben Beiske of travelblog.org)

Where to go in the Philippines? This country happens to have 7,108 islands when it's low tide; 7,107 when high tide. Choose your pick. Manila is the Philippine capital but it does not atply represent the Philippines. Whatever impression you have of Manila, good or bad, the country's 7,107 island-pearls are mostly phenomenal. They are a sight to behold. Finding one island would sometimes generate a feeling that you would no longer wanna leave. But there are 7,106 more to visit. After some time, it will dawn on you that unfortunately the beauty of the Philippines is impossible to cover in one lifetime. That being said, there's one place in this Archipelago that strikes me differently -- Palawan. Many say, it's the gods' own country. I've never been able to personally write about it because back then I thought it was so very difficult to put into words my own experience.

Yesterday, my friend Liliram (as she is fondly called) sent me an email. I thought the email was a blessing because finally from the writings of a foreigner, the essence of how I felt about Palawan had the most beautiful, touching words to match it. The name of this wonderful traveler is Ben, who is a friend of my friend Lili. So, I'm leading you to the link below if at this point, you still wonder WHERE TO GO IN THE PHILIPPINES?

http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/Palawan/El-Nido/blog-440947.html

http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/Palawan/Puerto-Princesa/blog-439099.html